Aaron Bruski

The Step-back 3

Trade Deadline Madness: Part I

The Rockets: Kevin Martin has one foot out the door and half of their team is on the block. Even Goran Dragic could reportedly be traded if the deal was right, which of course is interesting because Kyle Lowry is out for a while with a bacterial infection. The Lakers want Lowry and the Rockets want Pau Gasol, so there’s a good amount of smoke there. Luis Scola’s deal is looking to be shed and the rest of the lot that is on the block are spare parts, including Chase Budinger, Jonny Flynn, Terrence Williams, and most recently the Rockets offered Samuel Dalembert and Scola with a No. 1 pick to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. If there was one team other than the Magic that I would bet on undertaking a huge overhaul, it would be the Rockets.

Pau Gasol: I don’t want to overplay the possibility that he gets traded, but at least there are teams actively interested in acquiring the Spaniard. The aforementioned Rockets interest will compete with the Bulls’ interest, which is unknown at this point. If I had to think of a big-ticket deal that sounds crazy now but might shock everybody later, it would be a 3-teamer with the Bulls and Lakers trying to find a team with a power forward to follow in Gasol’s footsteps or a point guard to make it all work. Word is that Gasol and Derrick Rose’s shared agent, Arn Tellem, is using his great relationship with Jerry Reinsdorf to try to make it happen. The Wolves have also been linked to Gasol, which would have been sweet given the Ricky Rubio connection (before he got hurt), but one gets the sense that Minny isn't ready to make a splash. It doesn't hurt, though, that the organizations share a lot of executive contacts. Regardless, owners should be more concerned about the pieces that Pau would impact in a trade rather than his own value, which will hold relatively steady wherever he plays.

The Nets: They’re not going to trade much, if anything, for the right to get Howard this season. They know they’ll have his services next year, and for that reason they’re looking to shed cap right now. They’re big into trading for Boris Diaw’s expiring deal, which has seen either Jordan Farmar or Anthony Morrow paired with Johan Petro and a future first rounder in some reports. They'll take the cap flexibility and build on a core of Howard, Williams, MarShon Brooks, and Brook Lopez to go with a side of Beyonce.

TRADE ME SEYMOUR

Here are the guys that teams desperately want to trade, which of course means that they’ll be rammed down potential buyers’ throats as throw-ins.

Hedo Turkoglu: He has $24 million to go over the next two years and while he has played better than most could have hoped this year, the Magic are hell bent on moving him. It’s hard to imagine him holding his value outside of the friendly confines of his current system.

Emeka Okafor: Owed $28 million over the next two years, the Hornets would desperately like to get out from under his deal. The million dollar question is about his knee, as the only way the team could get rid of that deal is if a contender believes he can help them out this year. Teams will treat Okafor as a minus in any deal because of that contract.

Kevin Martin: He reportedly is at odds with Kevin McHale ‘and’ Daryl Morey, and with just one year at $12 million to go he has a solid mix of talent, flexibility, and utility for the team that would acquire him. He will be the carrot in many offers that the Rockets put out there, and owners really ought to do everything they can to hold him through the deadline. Courtney Lee has also been dangled, and owners need to be ready to pounce if Martin gets traded (or before, depending).

Luis Scola: Due $32 million over three years and having seemingly lost a step, the Rockets will do just about anything to get out from under his deal. I’m having a hard time believing that Scola’s drop-off isn’t linked to Kevin McHale’s system to at least some degree, so there is some hope that in the right situation that he could see a bump in value. Of course, he also has things pretty good in Houston from a minutes standpoint, so the situation is wishy washy from a fantasy perspective.

Michael Beasley: He’s set to make $8 million on a player option, which is interesting because a strong showing this season could have set him up for a pretty good payday and at a minimum some extra years. If he opts for that year, he faces the possibility of a face-plant if injuries or attitude woes kill his value in the middle of next year. Beasley is still a heckuva talent, though, and he has been among the more rumored trade candidates this year. Derrick Williams is likely already owned in your league, but keep an eye on Beasley if he lands somewhere that he can chuck it up.

Raja Bell: The Jazz sound like they want to move the disgruntled former Kobe slower-downer, but his $3.2 million deal isn’t all that enticing according to most reports. I’m a bit surprised by that, and the Clippers have been the most recent team ‘interested’ in his services. The guy teams want is Josh Howard, who would be a nice piece for a contending team, and the usual suspects of the Lakers, Spurs, Knicks, and Celtics are most interested. C.J. Miles is also generating rumors, as the Nets are interested, with Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro associated with a potential deal. There is also a three-team deal being discussed that would send Howard to the Spurs, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington to the Jazz, and Miles and Jamaal Tinsley to the Wolves. Whatever the case may be, the Jazz have a $10 million trade exception from the Mehmet Okur deal and have tons of flexibility. The takeaway? Gordon Hayward should be owned in all 12-team formats.

Boris Diaw: Big Mac is actually drawing interest from the Spurs and Knicks if you’re listening to Tony Parker, and it’s not all that farfetched because Diaw can provide some value off the bench while his $9 million expiring (pro-rated) contract will help clear cap space. The Nets have expressed the aforementioned interest and Diaw has been held off the court for the past few weeks. A reunion in New York with Mike D’Antoni would be interesting, though I’d personally like to see the log-jam eased there somehow before getting too excited. As for the Bobcats, I’m not jumping on any of the group of Tyrus Thomas, D.J. White, Derrick Brown, or Byron Mullens, though I believe Mullens’ game is the best complement to Bismack Biyombo.

Andray Blatche: He has just under $24 million and three years to go, and while JaVale McGee has become the poster boy for unintentionally funny behavior, Blatche has become the target for fans’ ire. The Wizards are desperate to move him and at this point it might actually help his value, as Trevor Booker continues to post big lines with 20 and 12 last night. Booker is clearly a hold, and the Wizards are a dark horse team to make some moves before the deadline. Nick Young has reportedly generated some interest from the Clippers, but as an unrestricted free agent next season teams will most certainly be looking at him as a high-maintenance rental. McGee is no longer untradeable, but he’s sure to generate some interest after the Wizards sent a promotional package out to teams yesterday.

Anthony Randolph: We’re not hearing a lot about him, but surely the Wolves wouldn’t mind selling some of the proverbial upside for some cash considerations or a second round draft pick. And once again, fantasy nation will ponder what could have been.

As we kick off our coverage this season, I can’t help but recall last year’s madness that became my pet project for at least a month. Fueled by the pun that I cannot even bring myself to say, Carmelo Anthony’s eventual trade to the Knicks caused the deadline to explode once that first domino fell. What we saw was nothing short of amazing, and I forget the final count, but it felt like half the league was traded.

And wouldn’t it be fitting that we woke up this morning to the first Melo trade rumor, no doubt fed to the NY Post by his agents as a way to test the waters (shockingly they called it ‘laughable’). There was also a report by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News that one of owner James Dolan’s inner circle was cool with trading Melo for financial purposes, and it could be that both sides are tap-dancing around the fact that Melo doesn’t like Mike D’Antoni and vice-versa, Amare doesn’t like Melo and vice-versa, and the whole team would just like to go back to the days when Jeremy Lin operated in space and the team won games.

Or, more likely, less extreme positions on all of those points are true and everybody is covering their ass, which is often the case when disasters like the Knickerbockers run up against the trade deadline.

So here we go. Today I’ll be covering some of the overarching threads of Trade Deadline 2012 and you’ll want to keep an eye on the player news blurbs for the most up-to-date information.

You’ll also want to follow me on Twitter, as last year the feedback was tremendous. With so much going down, owners probably walked away from more pickups than they ever had in their life, as Twitter + Deadline = fishing with dynamite.

I’ll be back tomorrow with the morning preview and we’ll have full coverage on Thursday.

THE FINAL WORD ON MELO THIS MORNING

There are way too many obstacles for anybody to take the NY Post report and scream from the mountaintops that Melo is going to be traded. Aside from the enormous salary considerations, a team out there would need to be willing to organizationally absorb the circus a trade would be. Trying to keep up with all the rumors I’m not going to break down theoretic trades that would work, but the only team I could envision doing something would be the Lakers in a mega deal – and I only say that because Kobe speaks highly of Melo all the time. They also could use an upgrade at small forward, but again, bring on the salt and the Tylenol.

ROLL THE DICE

When the Warriors and Bucks made their trade last night, it signaled to the rest of the league that they believed they were out of the Dwight Howard running. And it wasn’t for a lack of trying, as they were willing to mortgage the future for a chance to play with the big boys. Quickly, the reports regarding Howard turned into epitaphs for his future in Orlando, and wouldn’t you know it immediately Howard said he’d like to stay and win a title. What I actually can respect here is that unless a mystery situation arises, all signs point to him playing for the Nets next year. By refusing to coordinate with Magic brass, Howard keeps his future team from trading all of its assets to get him, unlike what Anthony did last year.

For fantasy purposes, this has a few key implications. The first is that Howard becomes a rental candidate immediately. The Magic may deeply want to keep him and, who knows, maybe they keep him and try to go for one more playoff run – but the smart move is to get something in return and punish Howard with one less year on his future deal (due to CBA restrictions).

The second implication that may be the best news for fantasy owners is that Deron Williams (calf) is less likely to be shutdown if Howard is indeed coming to the Nets.

The third implication is that the Magic immediately go into selling and saving mode, and Jason Richardson, Ryan Anderson, and maybe even J.J. Redick become trade pieces. We know the Magic desperately want to get rid of Hedo Turkoglu’s awful contract, which goes without saying. My take, which could change with the news, is that each of these guys other than Redick is at a high point in value. Redick is the guy that could see a bump in value if Howard and some of his teammates go, but all of them are built to play around the big man. It will be interesting to see what a post-Howard Magic offense looks like.

As for where Howard could go, it’s an interesting question because any team that grabs him for the playoffs gets an immense boost. The Rockets have had the hots for Howard and reportedly don’t care about renting him, and have also been among the more active teams in the rumor mill. Beyond them the Lakers might want to make a move, but doing so would necessarily mean trading Andrew Bynum, whom the younger Buss loves more than jean shorts.

WHERE THERE IS SMOKE THERE IS FIRE

Howard is the next domino for sure, and when that domino falls we’ll learn quickly about how the rest of the league is going to handle this year’s deadline. We’re not going to see the volume we saw last year, as teams don’t have the time to integrate new players and the lockout scrambled plans to the point that executives are timid. Until a few more pieces of the jigsaw puzzle hit the board, it’s going to be difficult to project what the fantasy impacts are. For now, have a look at the trade deadline characters that are generating the most buzz.

Chris Kaman: The Hornets are reluctant to take on payroll and are asking for too much by most reports. Shocking, I know. There has also been chatter about Kaman and Eric Gordon being extended, but owners still need to consider Kaman a sell-high guy, even if the trade fever has dropped slightly over the last week. Wherever he lands and perhaps even if he stays in New Orleans, he won’t be 'auditioning' for long. We’ve been a bit tepid on Gustavo Ayon in the blurbs, but with Kaman possibly leaving and the Hornets so banged up he is a better than average hold after a slow week. The Hornets are also likely interested in trading Carl Landry for anything they can get their hands on, and there might actually be a market for his services after teams jockeyed for him over the summer. His $9 million, one-year deal will be pro-rated, too.

The Rockets: Kevin Martin has one foot out the door and half of their team is on the block. Even Goran Dragic could reportedly be traded if the deal was right, which of course is interesting because Kyle Lowry is out for a while with a bacterial infection. The Lakers want Lowry and the Rockets want Pau Gasol, so there’s a good amount of smoke there. Luis Scola’s deal is looking to be shed and the rest of the lot that is on the block are spare parts, including Chase Budinger, Jonny Flynn, Terrence Williams, and most recently the Rockets offered Samuel Dalembert and Scola with a No. 1 pick to the Bucks for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson. If there was one team other than the Magic that I would bet on undertaking a huge overhaul, it would be the Rockets.

Pau Gasol: I don’t want to overplay the possibility that he gets traded, but at least there are teams actively interested in acquiring the Spaniard. The aforementioned Rockets interest will compete with the Bulls’ interest, which is unknown at this point. If I had to think of a big-ticket deal that sounds crazy now but might shock everybody later, it would be a 3-teamer with the Bulls and Lakers trying to find a team with a power forward to follow in Gasol’s footsteps or a point guard to make it all work. Word is that Gasol and Derrick Rose’s shared agent, Arn Tellem, is using his great relationship with Jerry Reinsdorf to try to make it happen. The Wolves have also been linked to Gasol, which would have been sweet given the Ricky Rubio connection (before he got hurt), but one gets the sense that Minny isn't ready to make a splash. It doesn't hurt, though, that the organizations share a lot of executive contacts. Regardless, owners should be more concerned about the pieces that Pau would impact in a trade rather than his own value, which will hold relatively steady wherever he plays.

The Nets: They’re not going to trade much, if anything, for the right to get Howard this season. They know they’ll have his services next year, and for that reason they’re looking to shed cap right now. They’re big into trading for Boris Diaw’s expiring deal, which has seen either Jordan Farmar or Anthony Morrow paired with Johan Petro and a future first rounder in some reports. They'll take the cap flexibility and build on a core of Howard, Williams, MarShon Brooks, and Brook Lopez to go with a side of Beyonce.

TRADE ME SEYMOUR

Here are the guys that teams desperately want to trade, which of course means that they’ll be rammed down potential buyers’ throats as throw-ins.

Hedo Turkoglu: He has $24 million to go over the next two years and while he has played better than most could have hoped this year, the Magic are hell bent on moving him. It’s hard to imagine him holding his value outside of the friendly confines of his current system.

Emeka Okafor: Owed $28 million over the next two years, the Hornets would desperately like to get out from under his deal. The million dollar question is about his knee, as the only way the team could get rid of that deal is if a contender believes he can help them out this year. Teams will treat Okafor as a minus in any deal because of that contract.

Kevin Martin: He reportedly is at odds with Kevin McHale ‘and’ Daryl Morey, and with just one year at $12 million to go he has a solid mix of talent, flexibility, and utility for the team that would acquire him. He will be the carrot in many offers that the Rockets put out there, and owners really ought to do everything they can to hold him through the deadline. Courtney Lee has also been dangled, and owners need to be ready to pounce if Martin gets traded (or before, depending).

Luis Scola: Due $32 million over three years and having seemingly lost a step, the Rockets will do just about anything to get out from under his deal. I’m having a hard time believing that Scola’s drop-off isn’t linked to Kevin McHale’s system to at least some degree, so there is some hope that in the right situation that he could see a bump in value. Of course, he also has things pretty good in Houston from a minutes standpoint, so the situation is wishy washy from a fantasy perspective.

Michael Beasley: He’s set to make $8 million on a player option, which is interesting because a strong showing this season could have set him up for a pretty good payday and at a minimum some extra years. If he opts for that year, he faces the possibility of a face-plant if injuries or attitude woes kill his value in the middle of next year. Beasley is still a heckuva talent, though, and he has been among the more rumored trade candidates this year. Derrick Williams is likely already owned in your league, but keep an eye on Beasley if he lands somewhere that he can chuck it up.

Raja Bell: The Jazz sound like they want to move the disgruntled former Kobe slower-downer, but his $3.2 million deal isn’t all that enticing according to most reports. I’m a bit surprised by that, and the Clippers have been the most recent team ‘interested’ in his services. The guy teams want is Josh Howard, who would be a nice piece for a contending team, and the usual suspects of the Lakers, Spurs, Knicks, and Celtics are most interested. C.J. Miles is also generating rumors, as the Nets are interested, with Anthony Morrow and Johan Petro associated with a potential deal. There is also a three-team deal being discussed that would send Howard to the Spurs, Danny Green and Wayne Ellington to the Jazz, and Miles and Jamaal Tinsley to the Wolves. Whatever the case may be, the Jazz have a $10 million trade exception from the Mehmet Okur deal and have tons of flexibility. The takeaway? Gordon Hayward should be owned in all 12-team formats.

Boris Diaw: Big Mac is actually drawing interest from the Spurs and Knicks if you’re listening to Tony Parker, and it’s not all that farfetched because Diaw can provide some value off the bench while his $9 million expiring (pro-rated) contract will help clear cap space. The Nets have expressed the aforementioned interest and Diaw has been held off the court for the past few weeks. A reunion in New York with Mike D’Antoni would be interesting, though I’d personally like to see the log-jam eased there somehow before getting too excited. As for the Bobcats, I’m not jumping on any of the group of Tyrus Thomas, D.J. White, Derrick Brown, or Byron Mullens, though I believe Mullens’ game is the best complement to Bismack Biyombo.

Andray Blatche: He has just under $24 million and three years to go, and while JaVale McGee has become the poster boy for unintentionally funny behavior, Blatche has become the target for fans’ ire. The Wizards are desperate to move him and at this point it might actually help his value, as Trevor Booker continues to post big lines with 20 and 12 last night. Booker is clearly a hold, and the Wizards are a dark horse team to make some moves before the deadline. Nick Young has reportedly generated some interest from the Clippers, but as an unrestricted free agent next season teams will most certainly be looking at him as a high-maintenance rental. McGee is no longer untradeable, but he’s sure to generate some interest after the Wizards sent a promotional package out to teams yesterday.

Anthony Randolph: We’re not hearing a lot about him, but surely the Wolves wouldn’t mind selling some of the proverbial upside for some cash considerations or a second round draft pick. And once again, fantasy nation will ponder what could have been.

Raymond Felton and Jamal Crawford: The Blazers aren’t getting much interest, and that’s likely because teams know they’re desperate to find a solution that doesn’t include firing Nate McMillan and/or blowing the team up. Maybe that’s what will happen, but that doesn’t make it easy to come to grips with. The whole lot of Blazers are slumping right now, and once the next shoe falls whoever is left WILL break out of it. Crawford has been linked to a deal reuniting D.J. Augustin with Felton, which is just funny, but Crawford has received more intense interest from the Wolves and Clippers. All of these guys are ‘holds’ right now, and so are teammates Wes Matthews and Nicolas Batum. Gerald Wallace could also be listed under this heading, as the Blazers are searching and he’s the oldest and very expensive. He’s also a hold, as you’re not selling him low and he’s too good to play this bad. The deal for Felton and Steve Blake has quieted down, as both sides are probably looking at the other like sixth grade boys and girls at their first dance.

Dorell Wright, Stephen Jackson, and Andris Biedrins: Good luck trading Biedrins, Mr. Lacob, but the possibility of Wright getting traded is definitely there. He said he wanted to be traded in the Monta Ellis deal (Biedrins said he wouldn’t mind), and he has felt slighted in the organization ever since the Warriors started gushing about Klay Thompson. As we’ve said in numerous spaces, Thompson is a ‘run, don’t walk’ pickup and my personal take is that he has proven that he can shoot. The rest is entirely up for grabs. I’m holding Wright for a number of reasons, including his recent hot streak, the chance that Stephen Jackson gets flipped before Thursday, and because Stephen Curry (ankle) could be limited or shut down. And if Wright gets traded somewhere bad or Jackson soaks up all his minutes, I’ll simply drop him. Not a lot of risk there. As for Jackson, he’s worth a stash, but I’m not breaking my neck to stash him. He needs a trade to a place like Charlotte that needs scoring and isn't that ironic, don’t you think?

Kirk Hinrich and Ramon Sessions: Hinrich has an $8 million expiring deal and comes with equal parts injury concerns and veteran savvy. Sessions comes at about half the price and an extra year but has the youth and upside that teams want. With Kyrie Irving in town, the Cavs know they have a favorable situation and could also decide to try to make the playoffs if they don’t like what they see. Both guys are worth a look as stashes and also might provide some low-end results if they don’t get moved. Owners should keep in mind, though, that the landing pads for PGs right now consist of the Lakers and Heat, where values would be capped. The money spot would be Portland, but that assumes that Raymond Felton can be included in a deal.

PEEK-A-BOO, I SEE YOU

These guys have cooled off in the rumor mill, but they won’t leave the mill until all of the booze has been guzzled and one of your friends is talking up a transvestite.

Jose Calderon: A piece came out from the Toronto Sun quoting Dwane Casey as saying the Raptors weren’t looking to make any moves, and while that very well may be the case, forgive me if I don’t listen to a head coach at this time of the year. Calderon’s $10.5 million salary next season is prohibitive, but contending teams with a need at point guard will want to give that a look. That leaves the Lakers, Heat, and the Spurs have talked about bringing on a backup, so the list is admittedly thin there. My sense is that once Ramon Sessions is off the board we’ll know how this is going to play out.

Antawn Jamison: This is a classic situation of a piece waiting for the first dominoes to fall. Of course nobody is linked to Jamison and his pro-rated, expiring $15 million deal because the contenders don’t know if they’ll need a stretch four yet. If they do, you can bet the Cavs’ phone will be ringing.

D.J. Augustin: The deal exchanging DJA for Jamal Crawford quieted down, perhaps because the Blazers don’t want to destroy Raymond Felton’s confidence by having Augustin show up on his doorstep, again. That’s just a random guess knowing a cheap spark like Augustin could at least build depth. The reality, though, is that Augustin’s health is a tiny question mark, and as a restricted free agent teams just don’t know what his market will look like next season and that makes him a squirrely trade target. With Kemba Walker around, who should be owned in most (if not all) formats, the Bobcats will probably entertain any fair offers.

Drew Gooden: Before yesterday’s big deal there were rumblings that the Bucks wanted out from under Gooden’s $20 million and three extra years, which incidentally looks much better than it did last season. What they know, however, is that Gooden is mopping up stats on a bad team, is getting older, and is breaking down. Ekpe Udoh’s owners were bummed him being sent to play behind Gooden and Ersan Ilyasova, but it might be worth waiting to see if Gooden gets dangled. That said, I’m not passing on a hot free agent to find out about a Scott Skiles PF, no matter how much promise he has. Gery Woelful just reported that the Bucks aren't done dealing, too, but points out that Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and Shaun Livingston are the guys on the block. Interestingly, those are Scott Skiles type guys, and change is in the air in Milwaukee.

Tyreke Evans: I just don’t see this happening, but there has been a decent amount of local chatter that he’s not ‘untradeable.’ With the upheaval in the front office and everything going on with the arena, etc., I think the Kings would need a sweetheart deal to let their former centerpiece (hello DeMarcus) get all bummed out.

COOLING OFF

Brandon Jennings: Reports emerged that he would not be traded, and I’m pretty much on board with that, but it bears mentioning that the Bucks now have the same problem that the Warriors did with two small guards. For fantasy purposes, I don’t think a team would take on Jennings without wanting to make him a starter so there’s not a bunch to worry about. If the Lakers want to get splashy, a return to his homeland would be fun. Jennings has one more $3 million year to go, so needless to say he’d come at a price.

Devin Harris: He was told by management that he would be staying on, which isn’t in concrete, but it’s generally a good sign that he will stay. Maybe the Jazz figured they couldn’t get a point guard for next season, and at $8.5 million and one year to go they’re crying uncle. Harris’ improved play lately probably helped. With the Jazz positioning themselves as an active team, my sense is that if Harris goes it’s as an ancillary piece to a separate big deal.

Josh Smith: GM Rick Sund there was as “close to zero percent” chance that Smith would be dealt as there could be, and Smith himself has backed off some of the trade talk. I don’t know how much I buy all that, but that’s some pretty strong talk and after Smith’s recent play the price is likely too high for the buyers, here. Now if only they could sell Joe Johnson’s contract….

Rajon Rondo: None of the Celtics are totally safe knowing Danny Ainge, but we’re guessing that as the chess board is setup right now that Rondo and his aging teammates aren’t going anywhere. The constant talk has been that Ray Allen is generating interest, but there has been no talk about the Celtics lately other than Ainge and Doc Rivers shouting from the mountaintops that Rondo isn’t going. The Celtics need a big man really badly, though, and that might be the thread that gets things unraveling.

Aaron Bruski has covered hoops for Rotoworld since 2008 and has competed in national fantasy sports competitions for nearly two decades. In 2015 he was named FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year. You can also find his work over at ProBasketballTalk, where he received critical acclaim for his in-depth reporting of the Kings' relocation saga. Hit him on Twitter at Aaronbruski.Email :Aaron Bruski